Victor Lafay took a career-changing victory at this yr’s Tour de France, ending a 15-year drought for Spanish staff Cofidis and launching his profession to new heights forward of a reported transfer to AG2R-Citröen for 2024.
The Frenchman was a part of the star-studded lineups finishing criteriums in Singapore and Saitama, Japan which celebrated this yr’s Tour de France with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Staff Emirates) taking the respective wins within the exhibition occasions.
Lafay spoke to French newspaper L’Équipe in Asia about his magnificent day on stage 2 of this yr’s Tour in San Sébastián, the place he lived with the world’s greatest up the Jaizkibel earlier than stealing a march within the closing kilometre and powering away to victory.
The Frenchman has risen to newfound fame since that win, however nonetheless desires of the prize each French rider wishes most, the maillot jaune.
“The Tour is large and, after I arrived in Japan, a lot of individuals requested me for selfies regardless that we had been on the opposite aspect of the world. I used to be instructed the Tour can change your profession, and I realise that extra each day,” stated Lafay.
“Within the first stage, I wasn’t very pleased as a result of I had nice legs and thought it was attainable. In the long run, I miscalculated and relied an excessive amount of on Jonas (Vingegaard) when it was not in his curiosity to go for yellow.
“The following day, I used to be annoyed, which allowed me to go for this victory. However the Yellow Jersey is one thing that I would like to find not less than as soon as in my life. This have to be a unprecedented expertise.”
Lafay had been rumoured for a big-money transfer to residence staff AG2R Citröen, with talks previous his triumph on the Tour. That change appears all however sure regardless of no official affirmation as of but, with Lafay telling L’Équipe he felt he wanted to “get out of my consolation zone” by leaving Cofidis after seven seasons.
“They [AG2R Citröen] understood that I do not miss out on a lot of my targets. People who I set for myself with Cofidis this season, I achieved, besides maybe the French Nationwide Championships [finished 16th],” stated Lafay. “Once I put one thing on my thoughts, I reply. My purpose within the coming years is to proceed to progress. Every season thus far, I’ve reached new ranges.”
Lafay shall be remembered in Cofidis’ illustrious historical past for ending that extended drought that the staff carried into every of the final 15 Excursions, additionally taking a Giro d’Italia stage win throughout his time there. However at 27, he favoured a change of surroundings, and one nearer to residence.
“Above all, I had been at Cofidis for 5 and a half years and I felt that I wanted, to not relaunch myself, however to get out of my consolation zone,” Lafay stated.
“I used to be tremendous pleased with this yr on the staff. All of them gave me quite a bit, from my coach to the administration, they trusted me and I appreciated it. I used to be capable of present them that they had been proper to take action.”
AG2R Citröen’s headquarters lie within the Savoie division in La Motte-Servolex. Lafay lives close to Chambéry which is barely 10 minutes away, and began his profession for the Chambéry Cyclisme Formation staff. That is now the French staff’s U23 growth squad.
He’ll be reunited with former teammates Benoît Cosnefroy and Nans Peters and is ready to journey inside himself occasionally in pursuit of higher consistency as he continues to mature as a rider.
“What modified [since the Tour] is that extra outcomes are anticipated from me. This was already the case earlier than however, while you need to be constant, you typically have to limit your self and never essentially attempt loopy issues like I did on the Tour,” stated Lafay.
“I am fairly fiery, I act quite a bit on intuition. I am not going to assume for hours a couple of technique. If I odor one thing, I’m going for it. However at occasions, it is good to include your self too.
“There are days when I’ve legs of fireside, others the place bodily it would not really feel good in any respect. Some say it is within the head however under no circumstances, I nonetheless have the identical need to win. Generally I’m going thus far in ache that the subsequent day I am utterly flat, I am human.”
Lafay is ready to unite together with his teammates for the approaching years in Savoie after persevering with his travels in Asia. If confirmed, he’ll be considered one of AG2R Citröen’s headline riders in 2024 alongside Felix Gall, Ben O’Connor and one other former growth teammate who additionally had an ideal season, Aurélien Paret-Peintre.
